


Fireworks and Royal News Reports

by larislynn



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Fire Nation Royal Family, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, Reader-Insert, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:15:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25176742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larislynn/pseuds/larislynn
Summary: When you're assigned to interview the new Firelord, things don't go the way you expected them to at all.Request: "23 on Prompt List 1 with zuko" (Prompt: "You always look beautiful")
Relationships: Zuko (Avatar)/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 64





	Fireworks and Royal News Reports

Your legs were practically shaking as you walked up the steps to the Fire Palace. As a journalist for the New Earth Kingdom Times, it was your job to interview the newly-coronated Firelord. From what you had heard, he was much different from his uber-authoritarian father, however you weren’t sure if it was just more propaganda.

Not only was this a very important assignment, it was your very first. Since none of the experienced reporters dared take the job, it was passed to you. Although you tried to argue that you were too inexperienced for such an important story, you were sent anyway. Reports claimed the Firelord was only a teenager himself, so it eased some of your worries, knowing he would be close to your age.

The detailing on the palace was intricate, and it absolutely took your breath away. Less than a year ago you wouldn’t have even been able to be on these steps, let alone enter the building. A guard opened the grand entry doors and your heart raced. This was it, the moment they would arrest you.

Except, you weren’t arrested. The guard simply stepped forward and bowed politely. “I assume you are the reporter here to interview Firelord Zuko?”

“Yes,” you replied, trying to keep your voice even, “I am.”

“Right this way, he is currently in the grand sitting room.” You were led down a long hallway, natural light flooding in through several large windows. From what you had heard, major renovations had been done on the palace. The walls were painted a rich red, with gold inlay around the ceiling. Looking down, you could see your reflection in the gleaming marble floor. 

At the end of the hall, a pair of large set of double doors stood, commanding attention. They appeared to be made of a rich oak, which was surprising, since wood was, well, notoriously flammable. 

The doors swung open and you gasped. Standing in the doorway was none other than the Firelord himself. The reports were correct, and you assumed he was only a year older than you at most. He carried himself elegantly, yet not with the snobbish air most royals did. Long hair was tied back in a bun, using a hairpiece with the Fire Nation insignia. He wore a long red robe, which was not the typical formal attire Fire Nation royalty wore. 

Everything about him seemed to match the descriptions you had heard from others, but you still were unsure. Stepping forward, he smiled. “Hi there, you must be the reporter. I’m honored you came all this way to interview me.” 

You stumbled into a polite bow, “The honor is all mine, Your Majesty.” 

He bowed in turn and you had to stifle a gasp. This was _certainly_ not the custom. “We don’t use titles like that here, you can just call me Zuko,” he replied.

“Of course Fire-,” you stopped yourself at the last moment. “Sorry. Of course, Zuko.” You blushed, it didn’t feel right to call him by his given name, but you didn’t want to insult his kindness.

“Let’s have a seat,” he offered, ushering you into the sitting room. If you had thought the hallway was impressive, the Grand Sitting Room was an entirely different universe. Two overstuffed couches faced each other with a golden coffee table separating them. It had a glass tabletop, upon which sat two cups of warm tea. You stood, waiting for him to sit down, but he motioned for you to take a seat first. 

“After you,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I hope you like Jasmine tea, my Uncle prepared it earlier this morning, so it’s still a bit warm.” 

Hesitantly, you picked it up and took a sip. You couldn’t help yourself, you smiled, “This is the best tea I’ve ever had.”

“Uncle Iroh owns the Jasmine Dragon tea shop in Ba Sing Se. If you ever get the chance you need to stop by, it’s incredible.” 

“The Jasmine Dragon? I’ve been there, although at that time it was owned by a lovely older gentleman by the name of Mushi.”

Zuko smiled, “That’s him. He goes by that name so people aren’t fearful of the shop, but keep that off the record,” he joked. With a small sigh he added, “Although we’ve changed, people still fear our nation. I hope to change that, it’s time for an era of peace.” 

After he said that, you realized the rumors were true, and you began to feel more at ease around him. 

“I’m actually going to be addressing a crowd about my plans later,” he mentioned, “I would love for you to come with me. It would be excellent material for your article, I’m sure. Plus I could use some backup, public speaking isn’t really my forte,” he joked, “you can just ask the Avatar about that.” 

“That would be amazing,” you beamed. 

“Perfect. I could give you a tour of the royal grounds until then, it would help to pass the time, and also give some insight into life here at the palace.”

“That sounds incredible, thank you.”

Taking your hand, he asked “May I?” You nodded in response, blushing as he led you, arm in arm, into the hall. 

“Through this door is the throne room, although we barely use it anymore. It just serves as a reminder of the ways of the past. The only time it is used is for official meetings.”

“I did have a question,” you mentioned hesitantly. “The doors seem to all be made of wood. Isn’t that, I don’t know, dangerous?”

“All the old doors were made of metal, leading to careless bending. Fire spreads much too quickly when out of control. Careful and precise bending teaches one discipline and patience. That’s a lesson I learned from my Uncle.”

“He seems to be a very wise man,” you replied. 

Zuko nodded, “He is, and I regret the way I treated him during most of my banishment. I acted as though he was just there to babysit me, instead of being a mentor and a father figure.”

“Now do you want this to be off the record?”

He considered for a moment before responding, “No, I want the people to know. The days of thinking the royal family is perfect are over. They need to know that I’m not without fault.” 

When he said that, you knew that everything you had heard was true. He was living up to his word, and would unite the nations.

After that, he took you around the rest of the palace, showing you the different rooms, both used and unused. The whole time you talked, and learned about him more. What surprised you most, however, was the way he wanted to learn about you. He smiled and listened as you told him about your dreams of journalism and he chuckled when you confessed how nervous you had been for this assignment. 

When you told him about the way the senior reporters had forced you to go since they were scared, his brow furrowed. “That isn’t right of them to do. Although now that I know you, I’m glad that you’re the one they sent,” he smiled. 

You had to admit, once you had gotten to know him, the butterflies in your stomach had faded to background noise, although now you were filled with a new type of nervousness. The more you walked, the more you noticed how handsome Zuko was. At one point you stumbled and he caught you, his hand grabbing your waist, and you almost died from blushing so much. 

Before you even knew it, the time had come for his conference. He led you towards a balcony from which he was to be addressing the crowd. “I’m supposed to speak from here, for security reasons” he explained. “But I wish I could be closer to the people.”

“Maybe you could be,” you suggested. “You’re the Firelord, can’t you break the rules?”

He glanced down at the gathering crowd, “You’re right, but you should stay here, I don’t want you to be put in any danger because of me.” 

“Being a journalist is a dangerous job as it is,” you said with a smile, “I don’t mind a little added risk.” 

He grinned, linking your arms, “I’m glad you said that. Shall we?” You nodded, and he led you towards the grand front doors of the palace. As you walked down the hallway again, it seemed much less foreboding than when you first arrived. 

When the doors swung open, the crowd gasped. None of them had expected the Firelord to be this close, but once they recovered from their initial shock, a cheer went up. He presented the assembly as a question and answer interview, selecting random citizens and answering their questions. For the most part, you went unnoticed, until one girl raised her hand. “People are wondering who the next queen will be. Are you in a relationship?”

“Well, no, not at the moment,” Zuko answered honestly. 

The girl pressed on, pointing to you, “Then who is she?” 

“Oh,” he blushed, “she’s a friend.” You glanced down, not used to attention that was now on you. 

The rest of the meeting continued without incident, and when it was finally over Zuko invited you to stay for the party, telling you that you needed to see the fireworks. You agreed, not quite ready to say goodbye. 

Walking into the crowded room, you noticed Zuko right away, surrounded by a horde of fangirls fawning over the new Firelord. As soon as he noticed you he waved you over. You joined him and he led you out to the balcony with a cup of tea. “We’ll have a good view of the fireworks from here. So tell me,” he asked, handing you the cup, “how do you think this article will turn out.” 

“Well, it’s going to be a lot different than I thought, in a good way. I think you’re leading the right way.” 

He smiled, about to say something when another party guest bumped into you, and you spilled your tea onto your dress. “Oh Spirits,” you said, trying to wipe off the drink, “I always look like such a mess.”

Instantly he responded, “ _You always look beautiful_.” Once he realized what he had said, he blushed, looking down. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean, what I meant was-.”

You were in shock for a moment, but then you cut him off, touching his hand, “Zuko, it’s alright. To be honest, I’ve been noticing how handsome you look too.” 

He met your eyes, “Really?”

“Yes,” you smiled. “All day, you’ve shown how kind you are, what an amazing person you are. How could I not notice?”

He leaned in, brushing a strand of hair out of your eyes, “Could I kiss you?” You nodded, gravitating towards him.

His lips met yours, and fireworks exploded, literally. As you broke apart, the lights in the sky reflected in his eyes, and you smiled. He put an arm around your shoulders as you watched the show. “You know,” he whispered in your ear, “I’m still looking for an official royal reporter. You could write about everything happening here in the Fire Nation, and you could stay at the castle full-time.”

As soon as he spoke the words, you knew that’s what you were meant to do. “I would love that,” you answered, resting your head on his shoulder. He smiled, kissing you again. As the fireworks exploded in the background, you sighed into the kiss. Things certainly hadn’t gone the way you had expected them to, but that was what made it all worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> There's a critical lack of Firelord Zuko content in this world, and I hope this fixed it a little bit! As always, kudos and comments are appreciated! Love you all! <3


End file.
